Shunts

Shunts

Introduction

Fetuses that have abnormal collections of fluid in their body, e.g. around the lungs (1), can be helped by a shunt (2) that continuously drains such fluid into the amniotic fluid. The shunt is designed in such a way that one of its coils can be positioned between the lung and the chest wall and the other in the amniotic fluid. Its small holes allow the fluid to drain continuously into the amniotic fluid and in this way give the lungs room in which to grow.